Sleeping Beauty
by Gwynu
Summary: [FFV] Faris dreams, Lenna pretends, Butz pretends, and Cara is oblivious. [postgame] [oneshot]


**Disclaimer:** I don't own Final Fantasy nor its characters. 

**Warning:** SPOILERS. Also some implied stuff.

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When Lenna leaves the Tycoon Castle to meet her friends, it is almost like the old times. 

Butz tells the three girls stories from his journeys, and shows them various stuff he has found. Cara listens to him and shakes her head, sometimes stating that what he says is impossible and explaining him things with the solemnity of too early matured child which she is. Faris laughs madly at them, and shouts and behaves loud. It is Lenna who is quiet and full of dignity, because Cara is still a child, and Faris - never Sarisa, because she is no princess, there is no such person as Sarisa, there is only Faris, the purple-haired female says - is a pirate girl (woman, Lenna thinks, definitely woman).

But when it is them who are visiting Tycoon Castle, Lenna sees so painfully clearly that things would never be the same.

Because Butz is never going to be the same carefree wanderer Lenna knew. Cara stares into space, and her beloved grandfather's shadow never leaves her dreams. And when the Crystals were restored, they've lost their abilities, and Faris cannot summon Syldra anymore. And without Syldra, the pirate woman is no more who she used to be.

And there is another person with them in the Tycoon Castle.

Butz is talking too loudly, and Cara quiets him. Lenna glances at Faris, and she recognizes the look on her face immediately. But it's not Faris' look the pirate captain sends Butz, it's not her scowl, it's not her nervous finger tap she performs for a second - and then it disappears, and Faris bursts into laughter, and she is herself again. Plain, a bit masculine woman with tangled purple mane, baggy clothes hiding her figure.

Lenna sighs.

It is midnight, and the Tycoon princess is sitting in front of her vanity, brushing her pink hair slowly. She always counts the strokes she's making. Ninety seven... Ninety eight... Ninety nine...

One hundred.

A knock, a quiet creek, and Lenna sees the visitor's reflection in the mirror as she's closing the door behind her.

She's beautiful. Long hair framing her petite face with make-up applied. Light steps as she approaches Lenna, her hips swinging. She's totally naked, only the royal pendant hanging between her round breasts. She smiles, and Lenna recognizes this smile.

"Am I disturbing?"

"No, go ahead and sit down, Sarisa", Lenna says casually and puts the brush away, pretending her hand is not shaking while doing so.

"Lenna?"

"Yes?"

Sarisa scowls, and pouts, and Lenna recognizes those. "Why is it so dark? Is it night again?"

"Yes", the younger woman answers. "It is midnight, sister. You were sleeping and missed the day again. But don't worry, you're not missing anything", she lies and pretends to be busy with searching something in the drawer.

"Yeah... I was sleeping. Sister?"

"Yes, Sarisa?"

"I had a dream."

"Oh? That's nice, Sarisa. What did you dream of?" Lenna takes a ribbon from the drawer, picks up the brush and starts brushing long, purple hair. The older woman tilts her head, and Lenna recognizes this.

"I dreamed of sea..."

"But you've never seen it, Sarisa", says Lenna, finishing braiding the other princess' hair.

"I know. But I know it was sea. It was beautiful... But it was dangerous, and then I was drowning in it."

"And what then?" Lenna puts away the brush and looks away.

"I woke up."

When the morning comes, they all meet for breakfast. Butz is stuffing himself and Lenna is pretending not to be hungry, while Cara is telling Faris her dreams. Cara's dreams are about her grandfather, and her parents, and Hiryuu, and Moogles. Faris scowls again, and Lenna recognizes the scowl once more. The pirate captain doesn't remember her dreams, ever.

There are nights when Sarisa doesn't show up in Lenna's room, and the next morning Cara asks Butz if he had a nightmare, or if he is all right, because he's sleepy and tired and there are dark circles under his eyes. But he says it's nothing, and he steals a glance at Faris, then looks at his breakfast and pretends to be eating. Cara and Faris look at him with concern, then shrug it off. Lenna pretends she doesn't see little bruises on his skin and faint blush on his cheeks.

And then they leave, and Lenna comes back to her room alone. Because Faris is no princess, she's not Sarisa, there is no such person as Sarisa, smiling and scowling and tilting her head like Lenna's mother, and tapping her fingers like the late King Tycoon. There is only Faris, and she is the pirate captain, and so the beauty goes to sleep once again.

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_FIN_

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End file.
